Process for the preparation of on-spec phthalic anhydride by the distillative purification of crude phthalic anhydride at reduced pressure, where the crude phthalic anhydride is passed to the distillation column above a side take-off, the low-boiling components are removed at the top of the column or in the vicinity of the top of the column and the on-spec phthalic anhydride is removed from the side take-off of the column, in which a distillation column is used whose number of theoretical plates located above the supply of the crude phthalic anhydride into the distillation column is 10 to 20 and the column is operated at a reflux ratio of from 0.1 to 0.5.